How can we help?

Why write a will?

An effective and appropriate Will allows you to address many issues.

• Looking after loved ones.  First and foremost, your Will allows you to be clear about how your estate is to be distributed and without those instructions your assets may not end up with the people that you would have chosen.
• Choosing who administers your estate – The administration and management of your estate is normally entrusted to your executors and your Will allows you to select them and therefore who you would want to oversee your wishes after you have gone.
• Protecting children – Your Will allows you to appoint guardians to look after your children aged under 18 and make financial provisions for them as they grow up. If you have had more than one marriage, then a Will can ensure children from your first marriage are able to share in your estate.
• Helping or rewarding others – You may have specific bequests such as cash or art or other possessions you wish to make to close friends, grandchildren, other individuals or causes that you wish to help or thank or just to show appreciation.
• Your funeral – It may be important for you personally to leave instructions for your funeral and final resting place.
• Tax and protecting assets for future generations – Preparing a Will presents you with an opportunity to address the issues of Inheritance Tax, business and property interests and helping to preserve wealth for future generations.

What happens if I don’t have a will?

Without a clear understanding of your wishes, the rules of intestacy apply, and they will not necessarily reflect your wishes at all. The law cannot read your mind. 

You will have heard the scare stories about what can happen if you don’t make a Will, forget to update it or even if your Will was not prepared correctly. Well, often they are true and more common than you might expect. 

• Your wealth may pass to relatives who do not need it and who you would not choose to leave it to, while a spouse or civil partner may not receive as much as you would have intended them to. 
• Without a Will children and vulnerable family members are unlikely to receive the protection you may have wanted for them.
• The lack of a valid Will can also lead to family disputes and you will miss out on an important opportunity to put plans in place to mitigate the burden of Inheritance Tax (charged at 40%) which can have a significant and damaging impact on the value of what you leave behind.

What Will should I choose?

Our trusted experts can assist you in drawing up all the documents you will need to ensure your family is protected and that your wealth is transferred as you wish on your death.

Starting out Will – An affordable Will for young families to ensure your choice of guardians will be put in place for your children should the worst happen.

Living together Will – Avoid double taxation for unmarried couples and potentially save up to £130,000 in Inheritance Tax

Family Will – Ensure your estate goes to the people you care about and identify Inheritance Tax issues you might need to address.

Complex family Will – Where more than one marriage is involved this Will can ensure the right family members inherit from your estate.

Capital protection Will – Use trusts to pay no tax on the first death and substantially reduce tax on the second death.

Safeguarding Will – Look after the finances and welfare of vulnerable spouses or children when you have gone.

Business property relief Will – If you own a business, you can structure its assets so that it does not become liable to Inheritance Tax on your death.

Home protection Will – Don’t allow the value of your family home to be lost to pay care fees in later life.